Sitting in her white framed house in Fredericksburg, serene in the knowledge that her mission in life has been fulfilled beyond the wildest dreams of her youth, Mary Washington writes in a firm but hesitant hand, her last will and testament. 

"I, Mary Washington, of Fredericksburg, in the County of Spotsylvania, being in good health, but calling to mind the uncertainty of this life, and willing to dispose of what remains of my worldly estate, do make and publish this, my last will, recommending my soul in the hands of my Creator, hoping for a remission of all my sins through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind: I dispose of my worldly estate as follows..."

Today's cavalcade is a narrative about Mary Washington and her challenging era, a portrait of a great lady.